Reply by the Additional Chief Secretary to Government of Kerala in Original Application 184/22 filed by M N Jayachandran before the National Green Tribunal. M N Jayachandran in his petition before the NGT had alleged that Biji P Mathew was running tourism activities in the encroached area of the Periyar …
The Kerala Assembly on Thursday adopted a substantive motion proposing that the Madhav Gadgil Committee report recommending measures for conservation of the Western Ghats should be implemented only after wider consultations, and with public participation. The impractical proposals in the expert panel report should not be approved. A practical approach …
Alarmed by this year’s scanty rainfall and the drying up of water reserves in several parts of the State, the office of the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority has forwarded a recommendation to the State government to this effect. The scarce northeast monsoon has failed to make up for the …
Saint Joseph’s Higher Secondary School, Peruvamthanam, in Idukki has been selected as the best school in the State for implementing the energy conservation awareness improvement programme ‘Nalekkithiri oorjam’ (energy for the future) launched by the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB). The programme targets schools in coordination with the Education Department …
The Supreme Court on Monday directed that the Mullaperiyar dam case be listed for final arguments on February 19, 2013. A five-judge Constitution Bench, comprising Justices D.K. Jain, R.M. Lodha, H.L. Dattu, C.K. Prasad and Anil R. Dave, fixed the date of final hearing after brief submissions from senior counsel …
Lays emphasis on long-term monitoring Groundwater resources in Kerala have come under increasing stress from rising levels of exploitation and pollution, the first aquifer atlas of Kerala has revealed. The atlas, compiled by the Central Ground Water Board, estimates the net annual groundwater availability in the State at 6.01 billion …
Part of initiative to tackle power crisis in the State The Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) is charting out an action plan for extensively exploiting the solar energy potential to tackle the power crisis gripping the State. Official sources told The Hindu here that a high-level expert panel appointed by …
Kerala will convey its displeasure over the appointment of consultant to the monitoring committee for maintenance and repair at Mullaperiyar dam. The Irrigation department has already conveyed the displeasure to the State Water Resources Department to be taken up with the Central Water Commission. As per the Supreme Court direction, …
The Rs.20,000-crore Muthoot Pappachan Group, which has a minor wing doing business in alternate energy, is keen on investing in a big way in the wind energy sector in Kerala, especially over the Ramakkalmedu ridges on the Western Ghats in Idukki district, the group’s chairman and managing director Thomas John …
‘Project tunnels not to reach State’s territory’ No direct study has been done on the possible ecological impact in Idukki from the India-based Neutrino Observatory (INO) project as “no surface activity/construction is envisaged in the area [district],” says the rapid Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) report of the project. P.A. Aziz, …
Eight small hydro power schemes mooted In a bid to enhance power generation, the Small Hydro Promotion Cell of the Energy Management Centre, attached to the Department of Power, has proposed eight small hydro-power schemes in Kozhikode district. Some of these projects, already showcased at Emerging Kerala, which concluded in …
The Supreme Court on Friday directed its Registry to digitise the final report of the Empowered Committee relating to the safety of the Mullaperiyar dam as well as the study and investigation reports relied on by this committee for reaching a conclusion. A five-judge Constitution Bench comprising Justices D.K. Jain, …
‘Lack of infrastructure hampering economic growth’ The government’s policy is to usher in development in the State without trampling on the environment and integrate both, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has said. He was inaugurating a two-day national seminar on ‘Transport Vision Kerala 2030’ organised by the National Transportation Planning and …
Report of Madhav Gadgil-headed Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel The report of the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP) headed by Madhav Gadgil has generated much heat and dust in Kerala, with environmental activists and pro-development experts adopting diametrically opposing views. But meaningful debate on the issue has been hampered …
Water Resources Minister P.J. Joseph said on Tuesday that a generation having deep awareness on farming should be groomed and the Comprehensive Horticulture Development Plan is being implemented with this aim. Inaugurating its district-level implementation at the Government Higher Secondary School, Kudayathur, he said that the plan is to provide …
Central government’s affidavit before Supreme Court on endosulfan Environmentalists in Kerala’s Idukki district see a grand design in the Central government’s affidavit before the Supreme Court that seeks to allow the sale of endosulfan in the country except in Kerala and Karnataka. The ban in Kerala, they aver, will not …
A five-judge Constitution Bench of Justices passed this order The Supreme Court on Monday permitted Tamil Nadu to carry out repair and maintenance works on the Mullaperiyar dam in the presence of the Superintending Engineer of Kerala and an independent member nominated by the Chairman of the Central Water Commission. …
The Mullaperiyar Agitation Council, which is spearheading an agitation for a new dam in Mullaperiyar on Monday termed the Supreme Court order giving permission for conducting the maintenance work of the dam as only a “temporary solutution”, and said that it hoped the final judgement will allay the fears of …
Dam safe for increasing water level, says report The Supreme Court will consider on Monday the report of the Empowered Committee — headed by the former Chief Justice of India, A.S. Anand — which has said the 116-year-old Mullaperiyar dam (MPD) “is hydrologically, structurally and seismically safe for raising the …
With the Supreme Court (SC) to take up the Mullaperiyar case for hearing on July 23, Kerala is gearing up to contest the findings of the SC-appointed Empowered Committee (EC) with special emphasis on the panel’s conclusion that the dam was safe. Water Resources Minister P.J. Joseph on Monday left …
Kerala will fight the Empowered Committee report that the 116-year-old Mullaperiyar dam is safe and continue to press its case for a new dam at a Supreme Court hearing, scheduled to be held on July 23, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and Water Resources Minister P J Joseph told the Assembly …
